Detaching Figures From Their Field; Universal vs Small Lights
Treatise on Painting: relief against a light ground, and the grace of broad illumination
A text page headed 'PARTE' with two small ray diagrams at the top. A precept states that things in relief seen close with one eye look like a perfect painting, illustrated by points c, d-f and h-m. Further chapters teach that figures show far more relief against a light, illuminated field than a dark one, and that figures gain grace in broad 'universal' lights, which embrace the reliefs of bodies, rather than in small particular lights that swallow them in shadow.
On this page
Close relief with one eye resembles a perfect painting
The precept holds that objects in relief seen from nearby with a single eye look like a perfect painting. If you view point c with the eyes a-b it appears at d-f, and with the single eye g it appears as h at m; painting will never contain these two varieties of view.
Figures detach better against a light field
Things show much more relief against a light, illuminated field than a dark one. Giving relief means the part of the body furthest from the light shares least in it and grows darker; ending against a dark field it falls into confused edges, and without a reflection the work is left graceless, appearing from afar only in its luminous parts, so the darks seem to merge with the ground and the figure looks cut away.
Figures have more grace in universal lights
A precept teaches that figures have more grace placed in universal lights than in particular and small ones, because the great, gentle lights embrace the reliefs of bodies, and works made in such light appear from afar with grace. Those portrayed in small lights take on great masses of shadow.